Once a Doll
by MidnightResWri
Summary: Vlad Masters took down Circus Gothica. During the raid, he finds a young teen dressed as a Gothic Doll. A flash of green behind the blue tells Vlad the child's a hybrid. And this child has more secrets than first thought when Vlad discovers she's a he. AU
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Merry Christmas, world. And yeah, I just started another story.

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><p><strong>Once a Doll<strong>

**Originally "Little Doll"**

A Danny Phantom Fanfic by MidnightResWri

Adopted from Jeanette9a

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><p><em>We all end up as dolls in the end.<em>

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><p><span>Prologue<span>

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><p>"Go on, I <em>dare<em> you," the young girl's voice pushed the idea further into the even younger boy's mind. The child's logic told him that dares must always be fulfilled. If you didn't then you'd always be known as a coward. The little boy never backed down from a dare.

He cast one last glance over his shoulder at his sister before moving between the legs of the taller adults. His parents didn't even turn to see what their children were up to. They kept looking at their strange devices that blinked and made noises. The boy took a deep breath and gathered his courage. He just needed to go behind the curtain and come right back.

None but his sister saw him approach the black curtain, lift it, and disappear once it settled back into place. The boy stood cut off from the sound of the gathering crowd for a moment before he decided it had been enough time. He wanted to get back to his mom.

He touched the cloth again, the smooth velvet making him smile, and made to leave when he felt someone tall stand behind him.

He looked first at the legs in red and followed them up to a black vest and further up to a very pale face and angry, oh so angry, red eyes. The child held his breath, not daring to breathe. He'd been caught. "What the hell are you doing behind the curtain?" The man demanded, tapping on the tip of his cane.

The little boy stumbled over an answer, but, could not form proper words. The man leaned down and gripped the boy's shoulder so tightly bruises formed immediately. The boy winced and avoided the man's eyes. The boy tried pulling away and fell onto his bottom, rustling the curtain with his suddenly free arm. He didn't know how he had gotten loose. He thought maybe it had something to do with his weird superpowers.

Fearfully, he looked up at the man, now staring at the child with surprise. The boy wanted to bolt back to the safety of his sister and mother and forget the dare had happened.

He unconsciously shrank into himself when a smile crept onto the man's lips. "How would you like to join the circus?"


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: **What? This is still a thing? Okay.

Edited 3/20/2013

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><p><strong>Once a Doll<strong>

A fanfiction by MidnightResWri

Adopted from Jeanette9a

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><p><em>A beautiful doll was found in the attic today.<em>

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><p><span>Chapter One<span>

The sun fell beneath the horizon as the train slowed to a stop, surrounded by trees and brush. Black smoke billowed from the single engine in its dying moments. A rush of frantic voices followed the untimely delay in their travels. Two men jumped off the train, running to the first car, toolkits firmly in hand. Others filed off the train, hoping to catch a glimpse of the commotion. It wasn't often the train broke down.

Frederich stepped off a middle car; a small figure tried to follow him, but he held up a hand. "Stay inside," he ordered. "I don't want you wandering off. Lock the door behind you, won't you?"

He glanced over when the door slid shut and the locking mechanism clicked into place. "Well, now that little detail is out of the way," muttered Frederich. He strolled along the side of the train, scowling at his 'hired' hands, and twirled his staff. He raised his voice, "What's the damage to the engines _this_ time?"

"Something was blown out," said a mechanic, poking his head out of the window. He coughed and waved a hand around his head. "There's a lot of smoke in here, so we won't know what exactly until it's mostly clear."

The ringmaster ground his teeth, "I don't pay you to wait around. I pay you to fix my things!"

The man fell back into the engine room and out of sight. Frederich scoffed and took out his pocket watch. The Circus Gothica was already late for their opening ceremonies in the next town. "Dreadful," he spat. "But, not a total loss. We can play this off. We have before."

Frederich glanced at his people, barely taking notice of the occasional, involuntary flash of red in their eyes. "Get back inside," he snapped. "I want us ready to move the millisecond that engine is back up and running."

The performers nodded and moved slowly back to their own cars, not sparing another glance to the damaged engine.

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><p>The windows of the train cast off a soft glow on the grass beneath it. Silhouettes of the performers shifted along the cars. The engines were still down. Just as planned.<p>

State police waited in the surrounding trees around the downed train. They said nothing and kept as still as possible to minimize the chances of discovery.

Vlad Masters, flanked by two officers assigned to bodyguard him (meaning they were there to keep him away from the action so the rest could do their jobs), crouched and held a pistol close to his chest. He didn't need it, but he couldn't have the officers knowing that.

The police nearest to him performed last minute checks of their gear and equipment, waiting for the signal to move in and begin the raid. Vlad felt the tension of the gathered forces. His own shoulders tightened and his back ached from the lack of movement. The silence rang in his ears as he waited with bated breath for the signal to move in. Then, the radios crackled to life, "It's time, move in."

As one, the unit stood and began stalking toward the train. The billionaire followed an officer assigned to keep him safe. His other babysitter walked behind him. Vlad was only there because he made sure his presence was ordered by the Wisconsin governor. The man was far too easy to persuade. The police, of course, would have rather left Vlad behind.

But, Vlad was the reason the raid was even happening and he wasn't going to miss a moment of that petty thief being ruined.

They arrived at the train, silent orders through hand signs directed the men along the length of the train. Men moved, their equipment rustling, and kept close to the cars, out of immediate sight of the passengers. Vlad and his two escorts positioned themselves in front of a darkened car. Likely, no one would be inside. That suited Vlad just fine. He would rather look for his stolen property than deal with the criminal scum that worked for Frederich "Freakshow" Showenhower.

Once every man was in position, the signal was given and the raid began. Officers forced the doors open and entered the interior. Surprised cries and the sound of barked orders soon filled the night air. Vlad's group of three tried the door, finding it locked. "This must be their cache," said one officer.

"That's the best bet," grunted the female. She tried the door a second time. "It's locked from the inside."

Vlad put a hand to the door, feeling the repulsion of a ghost shield on the other side. His frown deepened. The car definitely held something the freak wanted no one to have access to. "What is inside that's so valuable?" he voice, tapping a hand to his chin.

"Masters," the male placed a hand on his chest, voice authoritative, "we're going to kick the door in. You need to step back."

Vlad did as ordered, knowing full well they would not hesitate to force him back if he hadn't complied. Moving over the connector between cars and standing by its door, Vlad watched the officers prepare themselves. They lifted their legs in unison and kicked at the wooden entrance. It gave only a little from their combined effort and they kicked it again, this time succeeding.

The mechanism keeping the ghost shield active must have been broken. The usual green from shields wasn't present. Rows of boxes and crates stacked haphazardly could be seen from the scant light pouring in. The officers clicked their flashlights on and entered.

The billionaire followed after them, intent on staking out what was his. The police stopped near the entrance, examining the locks on the containers. "Must be hiding something pretty important," muttered the female.

"No kidding, Laney," said her partner, tugging at the combination lock. "Shame we didn't bring any bolt cutters."

Vlad ignored them and moved deeper into the car. He stepped over boxes in his path and pretended that he knew exactly what he was doing. A hand brushed some of the locks long enough for him to make them intangible. If the officers made it that far, they'd be quick to notice some containers open. They'd be able to start confirming their guesses about the contents of the boxes.

Of course, if they should find his property in one of those freed boxes, Vlad would be more than happy to reclaim it.

Cloth rustled somewhere to his right. Turning quickly, Vlad clicked on his flashlight, shining it into the darkness around him. He frowned when he saw nothing and turned his attention to unlocking more containers.

A box moved along the floor—again from the right—and caught his attention. A sharp intake of breath followed that. Curious, Vlad navigated the cluttered mess of the car until he reached the space the noises originated. He spied a quick movement of what he suspected to be a hand behind one of the larger crates. Vlad narrowed his eyes at the spot.

"Masters," called the male officer, "you okay back there?"

Vlad scowled. He didn't want to answer them. There was someone else in that car with them.

"Sir, do you need assistance?" asked Laney.

"I'm fine," replied Vlad and then mumbled expletives under his breath. Cloth rustled again behind the crate.

Vlad stepped around it and saw a huddled child in a gothic styled dress. His flashlight focused on heels that cut into the feet. Vlad slowly moved the light over the small figure, noticing that she hugged a doll tightly to her chest. Long, black, styled hair, fell over her shoulders and hid her face. He could see one blue eye peeking up at him. The child's pupil was dilated in fear.

This was rather confusing, in all honesty. Why would there be a child in that car? Vlad stroked his goatee for a moment as he studied the girl. When he'd seen the show of Circus Gothica himself some years ago, he remembered one performer, a child, who was rising in popularity. But, she had white hair and green eyes. A simple cosmetic change, really.

Vlad probed his memory for the show name of the child. He smiled the moment it returned to him.

"Hello there," he said, kneeling down to the child's level. "Are you Eidolon?"

The girl looked up at him, using a gloved hand to push some hair out of her face. She bit her lip and nodded. Her eyes flicked down to the doll, turning it carefully. The girl, Eidolon, curled further into herself.

"Eidolon, I'm Vlad," he said. "What are you doing in a place like this?"

Eidolon didn't answer him, stroking the doll's hair. Vlad frowned at the silence and said, "Well, we need to get you out of here." He offered his hand, which she did not take. His frown deepened.

Vlad grabbed her arm and pulled her up by force. He got a squeak of a protest and Eidolon started kicking at his legs and scratching at him.

"Come along, child," he hissed, pulling her forward. His legs ached from the violence she gave them. "I'm sure the officers would love to meet you."

Eidolon continued protesting wordlessly and Vlad looked down to see her blue eyes flash green intermittently. His eyebrows raised closer to his hairline as he stared down at the child. He knew one of the telling signs of possession was a change in eye color, but it wasn't tied to emotional distress. Not like the child's. And not like his own when he lacked experience controlling his own emotions.

Vlad didn't want to believe there was another hybrid out there and especially not one in the hands of a tacky circus like Circus Gothica. There had to be another explanation to the color changing eyes.

Despite the continued violent protests from the girl, Vlad didn't release his grip on Eidolon's arm. He even moved back down to her level and held her neck so she was forced to look at him. Her eyes were still changing between an ethereal green and her natural bright blue. She scratched at his face and abused his thighs.

Vlad's eye color swirled into a very angry and constant red. Eidolon stopped attacking and stared at him in what was likely fear. Her eyes settled on green and white, transluscent rings appeared around her waist. They moved only an inch apart before the girl recoiled, free hand grasping a necklace and trying in vain to pull it off her. Vlad recognized the failed transformation. He also recognized the girl's instinct to transform to run.

He scowled. It was becoming difficult to make rationalizations for the child.

His expression softened and his eyes returned to their natural cobalt. Vlad reached for the necklace and Eidolon flinched away from him. "It's okay," he murmured. "I just want to get a look at your necklace."

The girl was still tense, but didn't move when his fingers curled around the gem of the necklace. The chain connected to the dress, which Vlad discovered when he tried lifting it over her head. Instead of giving up, he examined what he could see of the device, shining his light where his own vision failed him. Along the sides was a thin crack indicating a weakness, which a small ecto-blast remedied.

Jumbles of wires and small circuits greeted him. Eidolon stared down at it, mouth hanging open. She touched a finger to one of the circuits and Vlad slapped her hand away. He needed a better look at its insides.

He pulled at some of the wires and looked over the circuits. It was clear the gem was a means to hiding the wires and the larger circuits of the device. It didn't look like any part of the necklace was attached to the girl herself so Vlad didn't expect any harm to come to her if he disconnected any of the exposed wires.

A spark of electricity jumped from the newly exposed wire. Vlad pulled more of them loose, effectively destroying the device. The necklace whined in efforts to remain functioning before falling silent. Eidolon stared at it for a moment, comprehension slowly dawning on her face.

Evidently, the girl wasn't dim and she proved that by disappearing from sight. Vlad blinked and couldn't feel her arm in his hand anymore. He stood up and brushed at his suit. Well, he thought, the girl could do as she pleased. Even if she was—possibly, Vlad reminded himself—the only other human-ghost hybrid in existence.

Vlad looked around the small space of the car for a moment. He let out a breath and returned to the sight of the officers.

"Masters, we were about to come back there after you," said Laney, smirking at him. She stood over one of the boxes Vlad managed to unlock for them on his way to the back. Gold glittered from within and he took a glance, seeing nothing but necklaces and rings. The woman held a small, thin camera over it, snapping shots of the contents to be used as evidence.

Vlad rolled his eyes. "It seems you were busy enough collecting evidence," he said. He wondered if he should mention the girl, Eidolon. He tightened his jaw and walked to the car's opening. The girl might have fled far from the train by then. It wouldn't surprise him, really.

"Find what you were looking for?" asked the male, taking pictures of the contents of another crate.

"No, unfortunately," Vlad admitted, sighing. He did find something worth much more than whatever Showenhower managed to pilfer. He smiled with that knowledge and clasped his hands behind his back. "I have, however, given a detailed description of the item to the chief of police of the precinct who will receive the evidence. She gave me her word to contact me when it's found and when I will have it returned to me."

"Of course." Vlad didn't have to see her to know the woman rolled her eyes while speaking.

He and stepped out of the car, content to wait for the raid to wrap up. When he returned to his mansion, thought Vlad, he could begin dedicating resources towards finding Eidolon.

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><p><strong>AN: **Okay. So...this chapter actually took the amount of time from the moment I started it after the prologue to the moment it was published. Most of it was due to procrastination. But, every time I attempted this beginning, I knew what I wanted to happen, but I couldn't get it on the page.


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N:** Yes, this chapter came so much easier. That's probably evident in how quickly I got it on the page. I think it was just getting this fic started that blocked me. I also wrote the three viewpoint scenes pretty much concurrently because they were all itching to be written.

Many thanks to my reviewers. Here's hoping I can continue keeping your interest in this story alive.

Edited: 3/20/2013

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><p><strong>Once a Doll<br>**A fanfiction by MidnightResWri  
>Adopted from Jeanette9a<p>

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><p><em>Hiding inside the doll's hollow body was a secret.<em>

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><p><span>Chapter Two<span>

5:30 am and Vlad's alarm promptly sounded in the empty room. A maid pushed the curtains aside, letting in the first signs of morning light. The young woman walked toward the blaring noise and turned it off.

The man himself had stayed in his private labs in the first basement of the mansion that night. The room he occupied was meant for technologically based experiments, computer simulations, and research. He reasoned using that room for his current occupation as a way to run multiple searches at once and have the results readily at hand.

On one screen, Vlad ran a search for articles around Circus Gothica that included 'Eidolon' in any way. On another, a search for articles relating only to the performer. On yet another, a search for Frederich Showenhower on any federal database he managed to hack his way into. The rest of his searches followed similar lines of thought. He needed as many facts as he could get his hands on to begin his search for Eidolon. That couldn't be her true name, Vlad mused, and when he found her, he'd pull it out of her.

Vlad ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He'd wasted the night staring at the screens as they compiled their data. Of course, he wanted to have everything relevant readily available in a few seconds. He hadn't expected such a delay.

He glanced at his watch and cursed. "The meeting," he grumbled, rubbing a hand over his face. The computers could continue their searches while he was away at his offices in Madison.

Vlad walked out of the room, heading down the hall to the staircase. "I'll have to leave instructions for the staff to stay out of that room until I've finished with it entirely," he muttered. "Then start channeling funds towards finding the girl and bringing her here."

When Vlad entered his bedroom, he prepared himself for the day. A shower and a clean suit later and he was ready to head to the office.

The billionaire made his way to the foyer, stopping by his office to pick up his briefcase, and the front doors where his driver would be waiting. A butler opened the door for him as he approached and Vlad squinted into the natural light.

The crisp air lifted his mood a little, though he still scowled from not having slept. He gave a short wave to his driver, dressed in a crisp suit, and made his way down the stairs. Vlad glared at his feet as he moved. It was good that he did because a dark shape blocked his path.

Vlad stared at the bundled form at the foot of his staircase. The black hair tangled and covering the girl's face and much of her back, but he knew who it was. Kneeling, he pushed some of the long strands away and saw that it was indeed Eidolon. Her dress was tattered along the neckline, and he saw no remnants of the device that locked her powers.

Vlad closed his eyes and let out a frustrated breath. He had a board meeting to attend and the girl's appearance on his front steps, while fortuitous, was going to delay him. Vlad looked at his watch again before making a decision. "Jacob," he said to the uniformed driver, "get her into the car. I have no time to wait for the staff to come get her."

Jacob nodded and stooped low enough to pick her up. Vlad watched him juggle the child to open the door before he finally managed to find a way. The man set the girl in gently on the back seat. He closed the door and ran around the other side to open it for Vlad.

Vlad settled himself on the other seat facing opposite to the one occupied by Eidolon. He opened his briefcase and took out his tablet. A hand reached into his suit jacket and pulled out his phone. He pressed his speed dial for his headquarters' head accountant and turned on the tablet. He would need to get a better idea of whatever the board would try slamming him with during that meeting. A concise report would be the best defense against those vultures.

Occasionally, his eyes slid to the sleeping girl.

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><p>The familiar feeling of motion made Eidolon think he was back on the train, but the noise wasn't there. The sound of the cars shaking along the rails and the wheels turning along the tracks. But, he couldn't feel the hard flooring of the first storage car where he sometimes slept or the very soft bed he'd been given when he was old enough to perform and proving his worth.<p>

So, when his blue eyes focused on the black ceiling above him, he flailed and rolled over. The cushion of whatever he'd been laying on gave out and he fell to the floor, biting back a sharp cry. Legs tangled in the folds of the dress. He didn't know where he was. For all he knew, Eidolon had been kidnapped. Just like Freakshow said he would if he wandered off.

The voice above him had been speaking in hushed tones before stopping entirely. Eidolon felt eyes on him and he swallowed. Honestly, he prayed it was Freakshow. At least he'd know he was safe with that man. Better than his parents who abandoned him when he was little, not that he remembered them.

A hand touched his arm and he jerked away, sitting up suddenly. He pressed himself against a wall—door, he corrected himself as his head brushed against the handle. Eidolon looked first at the window, seeing green blurs rush by, then at the other person in the car.

It was the man from the day before that, he was pretty sure, was like him. Well, his eyes changed colors at will and he had powers that destroyed the device. He'd hated that thing. Another way that Freakshow kept him safe, sure, but he still hated not being able to use his powers willingly.

Eidolon wracked his memory for the man's name. He'd said it, the boy knew that. What was it? he asked himself.

"Eidolon," said the man—Vlad! he remembered, "it's alright. I'm a friend."

The performer cracked a smile and laughed quietly. He dug the heel of his palm into his eye, trying to remember the night before. It'd been a rush, really. The adrenaline of being found by a stranger and the panic at thinking he might not be the only one of his kind had caused him to flee. But, some part of him had been attracted to the idea of finding out more about this man.

Eidolon remembered returning to the train, invisible, and following after Vlad. There was a long flight as he trailed the man's car, all the while tearing the remains of that accursed restraint from his clothing, and then passing out on the stairs. Okay, the boy thought, that sounded right. "Right, friend," he croaked and cleared his throat. Man, it had been a long time since he talked to anyone.

Eidolon jumped at the sound of Vlad's phone clattering on the floor. He fought down the instinct to go intangible and escape the situation. _Do not dare to speak in the presence of people outside the circus, boy,_ he heard Freakshow's rule echo in his mind. Crap. He broke the rule. He was so going to be punished for that when the ringmaster found out.

But, he didn't know where Freakshow was. He shoved that thought away to deal with later.

Vlad swallowed, staring at him. Eidolon squirmed against the car door. "Say that again?" the man asked. He looked like he'd seen a ghost—right, so that wasn't too weird considering where Eidolon had come from—and just kept staring at the boy.

Eidolon took a handful of his hair and ran his fingers through it. "Um, heh, crap," he tried cracking a genuine smile, but even he could tell it looked fake and nervous. God his hair was a mess!

Vlad was silent for a very long moment. Eidolon started counting in his head. _One, two, three…_"You're a boy," the man finally said, aghast.

That got a real smile out of Eidolon. He'd never had the chance to make the reveal to anyone outside the Circus Gothica. He laughed. "Surprised, huh?" he asked once his fit settled down. He couldn't just shut up, now. The damage had already been done.

Vlad blinked multiple times before clearing his throat. "It wasn't what I expected," he answered. His eyes studied Eidolon, curiosity renewed. "Anyway, Eidolon must be a stage name. What's your proper name?"

The performer's face fell and he picked at the carpeting. "I don't know," he muttered, too low for Vlad to pick up.

"Pardon?" asked the man.

Eidolon glared at Vlad. His jaw tightened. "I said I don't know," he said through clenched teeth. "Eidolon's the only name I know I have."

Vlad narrows his eyes as thoughts Eidolon could only guess at passed through his head. The man leaned back and crossed his arms. The forgotten phone on the floor vibrated and rang out with a song Eidolon didn't recognize. He reached out to take a hold of it, but Vlad beat him to the device. He'd seen those things so many times at the after show dinners with the wealthier patrons. He'd wanted to play around with one and he didn't think he'd ever get the chance at this point.

"Yes?" Vlad said. His eyes narrowed from whatever the caller told him. "What? Who authorized that contract?...No, I never signed anything that had to do with the GIW. I remember telling them where they could—Oh, did they? I'll have plenty of words to say to them when I get there."

Vlad pressed an invisible button, ending the call. His hand tightened around the phone. Eidolon shrunk into himself, expecting a punishment even though he'd done nothing wrong. Yes, he'd wandered off. Yes, he'd spoken to an outsider. But, Vlad didn't know the rules, right? That anger couldn't have been directed at him.

Still, Eidolon pulled his knees to his chest, making himself smaller. He fought the urge to disappear entirely, remembering his lessons well. Don't do anything stupid, he told himself.

He watched Vlad seethe from his spot on the floor, hiding behind his tangled hair. He could leave, he realized. Just go intangible and fly away and never look back. Eidolon bit his lip and closed his eyes. He could do that. The necklace was gone. His abilities were his to use now.

"Whatever you're thinking, don't you dare do it," warned Vlad, startling the boy from his thoughts. "Just sit down, buckle up, and stay where you are."

A lump formed in Eidolon's throat as he pulled himself into the seat. He reached over his shoulder to what he recognized as the buckle. It clicked and he did as he was told. Eidolon sat strait as a ramrod, hands carefully folded over the folds of his skirt. He fidgeted with his gloves.

Questions filled his mind, but he refused to voice them, unsure if they'd be wanted. Vlad looked ready to murder someone, an expression he'd often seen on Freakshow, and he suppressed a shiver from running down his spine.

Perhaps following Vlad home hadn't been the smartest idea. Shame the temptation to know for certain what the man was overrode everything else that screamed at him to just run. Eidolon settled into the back of the seat and hoped that his muscles would eventually relax on the way to wherever the car was going.

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><p>Jessie Laney sipped at her bitter coffee, a scowl planted on her face. Interrogations were slow-going. They would be faster if they had actually arrested Showenhower, but he'd managed to escape somehow during the raid. The officers didn't even turn up with the circus's young star: Eidolon. Laney'd bet her badge that they were together and if not, they'd meet up at a planned location.<p>

"Yours crack?" asked Jackson, her partner. He leaned against the wall beside her. Laney shook her head. Jackson rubbed his eyes. "Mine didn't either."

Laney tapped her coffee mug. "Same story?"

"You mean the whole not being in control thing?" Laney nodded. "Yeah."

"We've been running prints and names all night, too," she mentioned. "So far, we've turned up a train full of missing people. Some of them were declared dead years ago."

"This whole thing's turning into a huge mess." Jackson leaned his head against the wall.

"Yeah, it has," she agreed. "And the chief's not happy with the taskforce either."

He balked. "What? Is it because we didn't nab Showenhower?" Laney pursed her lips and glared at the far wall. "Damn it! Darby's gonna work us stupid if we don't catch him soon."

Laney held back a flinch at the mention of their lieutenant. He didn't even go on the raid, or babysit Masters for that matter. But he was tough and he liked results. Sure, they brought in the meat of the circus, but the ringleader and his biggest attraction were still out there. She prayed he wouldn't take it out on her and Jackson, too.

"We should be heading back into the rooms, then," she said, finishing her coffee. "If we keep pressing them, we might get a lead on where Freakshow's running to."

"Officer Laney! Officer Jackson," A younger member of the force jogged over to them, a note in her hands. "I got a call in from a station in Janesville. Says they got a tip on someone matching Showenhower's description. He might be in the company of an unknown female."

Laney glanced at Jackson. They had the questionings to finish, but the tip was hot. They both had an itch to go after the guy. If the tip proved genuine, it could boost their careers. Still, they had their current obligations and they couldn't ignore them. She banged her head against the wall.

"Go tell the Lieutenant," Jackson said, to Laney's relief. "He's upstairs."

The officer nodded, saluted, and ran off toward the stairwell. Laney sighed and rubbed her temple. "There went our chance to nab him," she muttered.

"Probably a false lead," Jackson reminded her. He jerked his head back down the hall. "Come on, Laney, we got circus folk to talk to."

Laney pulled up a tired smile and pushed herself off the wall. It was going to be a long day at the office.

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><p><strong>AN:** Wow, Eidolon!Danny…turned out much different than expected. Oh well, I'm happy with the results, there. Oh, and I hope you don't mind I'm keeping Laney around and her newly named partner, Jackson. They won't take up too much attention, I promise. Janeville is a real place in Wisconsin.

On another note, I don't think I've ever managed to get another chapter in a fic done so quickly. (O w O)


	4. Chapter Three

**A/N:** I'm sorry. I keep creating characters to fill voids because everyone else lives in Amity Park (which, _spoiler,_ will play a role in this story). Or they are ghosts. And that's not very practical.

Edited: 3/20/2013

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><p><strong>Once a Doll<br>**A fanfiction by MidnightResWri  
>Adopted from Jeanette9a<p>

* * *

><p><em>The silent doll sees everything.<em>

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><p><span>Chapter Three<span>

The car pulled up to the building with plenty of time before the board meeting for Vlad to deal with Eidolon. He internalized his surprise at the boy's reveal long before they arrived. He couldn't linger on the fact that he'd had anything wrong in his assumptions. He had a board to chew out.

The sun reflected off the windows, blinding him for a moment as he stepped out of the car. Glancing over his shoulder, Vlad motioned for Eidolon to follow him out. The boy leaned forward in the seat, eyebrows raised. He gripped the seatbelt tight and chewed on his lower lip. "Come on," Vlad said. "I can't very well leave you in a car all day."

Eidolon stared at Vlad, mouth falling open a little. He scrambled to get out of the car, seemingly forgetting he could phase through the seatbelt. The boy hiked up his skirt and jogged to Vlad's side.

Jacob dutifully closed the door before driving off to the company's parking structure.

Vlad turned on his heel, walking into the building. Eidolon followed after him, shoes clacking against the concrete. "I have your cover all prepared," Vlad told him in the brief moments before reaching the front desk. "Just follow my lead."

Eidolon nodded and ducked his head when people started staring. The boy did look like a mess with the wild hair and dress in disarray and torn over the shoulders. It would be difficult to pass him off as a relative. And a female one at that.

"Good morning, Mr. Masters," said a young woman approaching him. His executive secretary, Allison, handed a folder to him. Vlad nodded and adjusted his briefcase to look through the files. "The board of directors is waiting in Conference Room 1304C." Her eyes flicked over to Eidolon. "What do you want done with the child following you around, sir?"

Vlad snapped the folder shut the moment they arrived at the elevators. "The child is my niece," he said, shrugging. "I found her this morning on my way to the office. She's run from home. Take her up to my office and send up some breakfast for her."

The elevator opened and the trio stepped in. "I'll get that arranged," Allison said, whipping out her phone and tapping in a number. "Does your niece have any preferences?"

Vlad looked at Eidolon, who stared at him with wide eyes. "Any preferences?" He asked. It was more or less a formality, his asking. Eidolon should have enough sense to stay quiet. The boy shook his head and Vlad smiled. "No, she has none."

Allison nodded and started dialing a shop somewhere nearby. Vlad tuned out her order as they climbed up to the thirteenth floor. The doors slid open and he stepped out, turned around and held the doors. "Now, my niece isn't very talkative. If she doesn't speak to you, it's because she's a bit shy around strangers." He let go and waved before turning around.

The conference room wasn't too far from the elevator. Vlad walked into the room, back straight and wearing a displeased expression on his face. The board of directors watched him enter, all of them attempting to hide their own emotions. Vlad sat in his seat, pulling out his tablet and opening his folders. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the board," he began, leveling his gaze on them, "I do hope you don't mind my starting this meeting with a discussion on a certain contract."

The board stared at him in silence, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm sure you're all aware of a recent contract with the GIW," he continued, leaning forward. His eyes moved from person to person. "I have been informed that it was cleared with the Board behind my back. Even though I own controlling interest in my company and _even though_ I've made it quite clear to the GIW I wouldn't have Vlad Co. make a bid on any contract with their organization, it seems that went ignored by you. Would any of you care to explain?"

* * *

><p>The elevator rose to the top floor of the building. Eidolon kept his head down and hugged himself. He wished Vlad hadn't left him alone with the secretary. It was too far out of his comfort zone. Freakshow never would have left him on his own. There would always have been a comforting hand on his shoulder if they went out.<p>

Remember the rules, thought Eidolon. Remember them, and he could survive anything.

A ding from the speakers notified the two that they arrived. The doors opened to another lobby. It was set up a lot like the one on the ground floor. Two desks were placed on opposite sides of the room with one in the center. The two on the sides were occupied by people talking calmly into phones. Behind the center desk were two large, dark doors.

Allison stepped out and Eidolon followed after her. He stared at her feet as they moved across the carpet toward the left most door. The talking stopped for a moment. His cheeks burned at the sudden attention from, what he assumed, were unfriendly eyes. Eidolon didn't look up from the floor to check.

"This is Mr. Master's niece," said Allison. Another brief silence before the two employees began talking into their phones again. Eidolon breathed with relief, thankful that story had been accepted.

The executive secretary placed a hand on Eidolon's shoulder and pulled him forward. He heard the click of a door and looked up in time to get a good look of Vlad's office. By the large window in the back was the desk with two very comfortable looking chairs in front of it. A fully stocked bar lined one wall and opposite of that was a sitting area with a large screen mounted on the wall.

"Your uncle is scheduled to meet with the board for another two hours," said Allison, lowering her voice. She smiled at Eidolon. He felt a blush creeping on his face. "He'll be up here as soon as it's over. When your food arrives, I'll be sure to get it to you as well."

Allison bent over to his level, her smile tired. She tucked a curl of his hair behind his ear. "You're hair and dress are a mess," she said. "I'll see what I can do about getting you as cleaned up as we can get."

He started to shake his head no, as if Allison would understand that it wasn't really necessary. She stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder and saying, "I'll be right back."

Eidolon watched her go, standing with his back to the door. He could just fly away, he thought. Fly away and never turn back. He could get some new clothes on his own. His feet stayed planted on the floor. There were reasons to stick around, he reminded himself. If Vlad was like him, then that would be a huge reason to stay.

Allison returned before he made a decision. She thrust a brush in his hand and then made a comment about the food arriving shortly. Eidolon turned to watch her leave, holding the brush tight in his hands. He waited for the door to close before he quietly said, "Um, thank you."

Eidolon absently rubbed a thumb over the bristles as he walked to the couch and sat down. He frowned at the curls that fell over his shoulders and grabbed a fist full of his hair. He began the laborious task—one he rarely did himself, it was usually Lydia who handled it—of brushing his hair.

At some point during his struggles, a bag of food was brought in and set on the table alongside a tall cup that smelled like chocolate. Eidolon's stomach growled and he doubled his efforts to tame his hair so he could eat and be done before Vlad came up from his meeting.

By the time Vlad did enter his office after the meeting, Eidolon was laying on the couch on his stomach, staring at the wall. The screen remained off. He hadn't wanted to touch anything he shouldn't after all. That was one of the rules: don't touch anything.

The boy jumped when the door slammed and fell through the back of the couch, having temporarily lost his tangibility.

"Those arrogant, backstabbing pieces of…of chocolate!" cursed Vlad. He tossed the briefcase toward the far wall, hitting it with a solid thunk. It left a crack in the plaster. Eidolon shrunk in on himself and just watched the man from his new perch on the floor. A small part of him cried out in the new snarls sure to be found in his hair.

Vlad paced the room, not casting a glance in Eidolon's direction. His eyes swirled a vibrant red, blocking out any of his natural blue. Around his hands pulsed a matching red, his power building around them. "_Blatantly_ disregarded my policy of refusing to use any resources on those blasted government buffoons! Trying to weasel out of it by trying to exploit a loophole that doesn't exist in any of the bylaws. I have a mind to get rid of them all."

In one of his turns, his eyes land on Eidolon who pales under the force of that hatred. Vlad's eyebrows raise, surprised. It was like he'd forgotten the boy was in there with him. His body language shifted in a smooth movement. His back and shoulders relaxed. His fists unclenched and whatever power he'd been gathering faded away into nothing and his eyes returned to normal.

If it hadn't just happened, Eidolon would have forgotten Vlad had ever been fuming.

"Eidolon," he said softly, raising his hands palm forward, "do forgive my outburst."

Eidolon forced his head to nod, mouth clamped in a thin line. He stared wide-eyed at the older man. Even through the gloves, he could feel nails digging into his palms. Freakshow had often said things like that whenever a performance wasn't spectacular.

Deep in his gut, Eidolon had the desire to do something that would keep Vlad's anger at bay. Going beyond expectations generally earned him many favorable points in the past. He wished he knew what Vlad's expectations were in the first place. He bit his lower lip as he debated whether he should ask Vlad what he needed to do to be better.

Vlad must have suspected this. "No, no," he said quickly, "I'm not angry at you at all. I'm truly sorry you had to see me in such a state." He took a deep breath. "You're not in any trouble, you do realize this, right?"

Eidolon nodded again. A safe movement. He prayed Vlad wouldn't get angry with him. He had the distinct feeling it would hurt to be on the receiving end of that fury.

* * *

><p><em>"I told you already," <em>sniffed the woman. She hugged a cloak tightly around her. Her legs remained crossed under the chair. The woman wiped her eyes with the tissue graciously provided to her by the officers just off camera. _"I didn't do this by choice. Do you think I wanted to leave my home? My husband? My job? Just to join some goddamned circus?"_

The woman buried her head into her hands. _"I just want to go home,"_ she whispered.

_"Miss, we only want to know where Showenhower's headed," _said an officer.

_"I don't know who that is,"_ the woman answered. "_I don't know!"_

Silence followed. The woman wiped at her eyes with the tissue. She glanced at the camera and let out a shuddering breath. "_I'm sorry. I just want to go home."_

_"Ma'am, the sooner you cooperate, the sooner you can return home," _the same officer assured her.

Another period of silence. _"Do you know what is was like?" _The woman's voice dropped in volume. The camera almost didn't pick it up. _"After all those years of being locked in your own body unable to fight the _thing_ that snaked its way into you?" _Her hands curled into fists on the table._" Your voice, your face, your _identity_ all taken from you in a split second. And you can't do a damned thing about it. All you can do is scream as it devours you from the inside."_

Her voice began to shake and she hugged herself. "_Please, just let me go home. I want to forget this ever happened."_

The monitor playing the recording shut off. The man beside the television stood in full uniform before a room filled with officers and detectives. He leaned back on the desk and stared at his task force.

"That was Janet Teller," said Darby. "Her testimony, like all of you are aware, matches elements of every single person that we arrested on that train. Losing control of the body, dropping everything to join the Circus Gothica, wanting to go home. Almost all of them were reported missing between 1997 up to last year. They're all from different states, no previous connection. None of them had a history of flighty behavior before their disappearances."

Laney pursed her lips, drumming her fingers along the table. She and Jackson could have told the team that. They were wasting time when they could be out combing the state for Showenhower. Darby, it seems, had other ideas in how to handle the search for the wanted man. Of course, getting a profile on the people aboard the train was a good way to start. If they had anything in common aside from being in stable environments.

"Now," Darby continued, "unless they're the best actors in the world and can fool the lie detectors with ease, I'm inclined to believe that these people aren't meaning to deceive us and by this so-called Freakshow time."

Laney tilted her head forward in agreement. None of the profiles on the individuals had a link to professional acting. There were a few church things or a community play in a few of their histories, but they weren't actors. Still, it didn't explain how Freakshow got them to join the circus and stay with him for so long.

"Sir," Jackson called.

"Yes, Jackson?" Darby said.

"I know the rest of us are thinking the same thing," he began, "but have we determined what these people have been describing? What they claim had taken their free will?"

"You and Laney were part of the questioning team, weren't you?" asked the lieutenant.

Jackson nodded and Laney rolled her eyes. He was going to slam their technique in front of everyone. She clenched her fists, waiting for the verbal attack to pass over.

"I read your reports regarding this matter, Jackson," Darby narrowed his eyes a fraction. "From all the testimony we have, we still don't know what caused their behavior up until the night we arrested them. There's a theory that they were, indeed, possessed by something. I'm not putting all my chips in that hat, so stop your snickering."

The room quieted and Laney waited for the meeting to be over. They still had to finish the next round of questioning while they could. Formal charges hadn't been pressed and the people would begin to demand to be released. Then there would be the matter of keeping track of so many people as the case continued. Laney let out a heavy breath and suppressed a groan.

"Of course," Darby continued, "there's another thought flying around: Showenhower managed to obtain some sort of device that controls minds." The lieutenant glared at those rolling their eyes. "Given the level of tech being developed these days, I wouldn't put it completely in the crazy pile. Once we've finished taking inventory of the evidence, we'll be able to see if anything could have been made into such a device."

Laney frowned as Darby dismissed them, reminding each of them of their duties. Chairs scraped against the tiled floor as the force stood up and erupted into discussion with their partners. She pushed herself away from her table and gathered her packet and legal pad. Jackson stood, waiting for her and she lightly punched his arm. "Come on," she sighed. "We'd better get this wrapped up so these people can get home."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Well, did I just compare put in a comparison between Vlad and Freakshow? I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not.

I figured the last scene would have been good for establishing a bit more of how the overshadowing works for the victims. That and I wanted to write one of the people arrested trying to relate how the experience had been.


End file.
